For sauce:Crush blackberries and blueberries together in a bowl until they are lumpy but mixed well and swimming in their own juices. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients (except the coconut oil) and mix well. Heat coconut oil in small saucepan (on low), then pour in berry mixture. Warm for 7-8 minutes on low or until mixture thickens to your liking, stirring occasionally.Spoon sauce over toast, drizzle on maple syrup to taste and sprinkle on some more crushed raw almonds and/or slivered raw almonds if desired. Add sliced banana stars for fun.

Presto, getting too high and eating the sky never tasted so good (also that flax and fiber'll make ya poop)!

10.18.2013

Don't you dare get your dick in a knot over me bringing up gender issues (because if you do, you're a fuckface), but I'm not gonna sugarcoat my opinion here: I'm not impressed by the embarrasing 100% complete lack of any female representation in this documentary short (as in, there is literally not a single female-identified person in this whole video except for maaaybe a quick glimpse of an audience member or something). I know it's just a silly little independent doc and perhaps I'm being a tad over-sensitive in that respect, but this video brings up a very important issue that is all too often glossed over. Microcosmic example of a macrocosmic problem (and not just in the Hamilton punk scene, obviously). The issue of sexism in punk (and music in general) is extremely important to me and understandably close to my heart, even if I'm not overly vocal about it all the time, and I'm going to discuss it even if it seems trivial to some people because actually, it's NOT a trivial thing.

Yes, many of the guys I know here are progressive and have feminist leanings and make a sincere effort to help quash sexism in our scene. They are allies, they are aware and self-critical of their own male privilege, they are intelligent and supportive of women's rights and are just awesome men in general. This is especially true of the incredible dudes I played with in my old band (Dismantle). But, because they are men and they still benefit from that privilege, they are still often blind to this problem because it is not presented to them almost every day of their lives. That's the way privilege works. Even if you support an ideal, it is still so easy to forget about others' struggles because you are not faced with that struggle every day the way they are.

There aren't many current female musicians in the punk/hc scene here, but there are some. As an obvious example, I personally was in two punk bands who were very active during this time period, including one that was part of this particular corner of the scene, with some of the dudes in this video. Example the second - since a scene is made of more than just musicians and bands, I'll bring up the fact that one of the two owners/punk savants of the record shop featured in this video is a woman. Pretty lame to just leave women out all together. If you really wanted to make a documentary that fully represented the Hamilton punk/hc scene, you might include some of the many insanely talented, fucking awesome female artists/photographers/promoters/zine makers/etc. who contribute regularly and heavily to the scene. You might interview some of the rabid and dedicated local punk fans who are of the female persuasion (I could suggest at least ten right off the top of my head who would be fantastic and suitable interviewees) and not just males. Just a helpful suggestion for next time.

Also, I promise you, there aren't only 3 punk/hardcore bands in Hamilton. This perhaps should have been titled "Snake Charmer + TV Freaks + Born Wrong" instead of "Hamilton Punk and Hardcore," HOWEVER these bands are all excellent at what they do, work super hard, represent the fuck out of Hamilton and are full of rad dudes. Much, much love to all of those guys.

Worth watching to get a feel for things, but this is only scratching the surface of this city's vibrant, thriving and legendary punk scene. Rather than an actual documentary, this is more like a snapshot of a specific moment in time in Hamilton's punk history.

6.03.2013

5.28.2013

Lying in bed at 5am, I let out a big, long fart. I started giggling. Then I hypothetically pictured myself lying in bed, letting out a fart and not laughing at it, which in turn made me laugh again, because the thought of myself lying there not acknowledging my own loud fart was hysterical to me. Because who takes themselves so seriously that even when they're alone they can't laugh at their own farts? The more I pictured this drole scene - a human being so sombre, so jaded that they wouldn't even laugh at a fart that escaped while lying quietly in the privacy of their own bed; that lone, trumpeting soldier ringing through the air for your own personal amusement, like the bumbling friend who you keep around because they can always make you laugh even when you're in the worst of moods - the more my brain kept on, turning my giggle fit into a storm of hysterics, sending me into a spiral of full-blown silent, wheezing horsey neighs with tears streaming down my face. I laughed so hard that I farted again. And then I died.

5.26.2013

Steve Albini is best known for being an outspoken, opinionated, intense A/V club nerd, who probably didn't get laid much until he turned 30. He was the guitar wizard of the soundtracks to your guttural, coked-up nightmares, Big Black and Shellac.

But he can also teach you how to whip up delightful Saffron Potato Cashew Pancakes for your girlfriend! (pictured)

"And then you grasp the lobster with all your might and force it tail-first down into the bubbling abyss of the mirror image of its own death. There you have it: a succulent sacrifice, goes best with warm butter and a nice Sauvignon Blanc. Bon appétit!"